Vaughan puts England on pace alert

Monday 7 January 2008 00:07 BST

England captain Michael Vaughan has warned his faltering fellow batsman to prepare for a pace examination reminiscent of the lauded West Indies attack of the 1980s.

Vaughan leads England into a four-match Test campaign against South Africa, starting at Lord's this coming Thursday, on the back of a poor 12 months which has failed to deliver a first-innings score in excess of 400.

"We are going to need big scores, and big hundreds, and to get them against that kind of attack will be very rewarding," said Vaughan.

Only two of the entrenched top six, Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Strauss, have averaged over 40 this year, yet the most hostile bowling trio currently operating in world cricket are about to be unleashed in the form of Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini and Morne Morkel.

Vaughan, who has been cranking up the bowling machine in the net practice at Loughborough, paid them a huge compliment when he compared them to Windies greats Michael Holding, Joel Garner and Malcolm Marshall.

"The lads will be working the angles as you always do against the opposition, putting the machine on a similar kind of pace," Vaughan said. "But it is how you react to the ball out in the middle and that is mostly what Test match cricket is about.

"Your preparation has to be very good but once you get into the middle it is about reacting, being focused and basically playing on the instincts and talent you have.

"Pace bowling, like mystery spin, is always fascinating to watch and I guess this is a bit of a throwback to the 80s when the West Indies were around," he added.

"Over the next six weeks we are going to be tested physically, mentally and in all areas of our game. That is why I find it exciting - you want to play in these kind of series as a team."